Madeline+Paffrath


 * SUMMARY: On July 21, 1907, Madeline Paffrath, age 21, died at German American Hospital in Chicago after an abortion perpetrated by a pair of midwives. **

On July 21, 1907, 21-year-old homemaker Madeline Paffrath died at German American Hospital in Chicago. Before her death she took an oath with her hand on the Bible, vowing never to divulge the names of the two women who had perpetrated an abortion on her.

Madeline's husband, John W. Paffrath, did not have so charitable a view of the women who had brought about his wife's death. He named Agnes Schustzner (Harcone Scheutner, according to the Homicide in Chicago Interactive Database) as one of the two perpetrators.

Other witnesses, saying that Schustzner was drunk at the time of the abortion, named Alice Gustafson as the first to attempt an abortion on Madeline.

The coroner's jury held the two above-named midwives, along with midwife Alice Rastone.

Mrs. Paffraths' abortion was unusual in that it was not [|performed by a physician].

Note, please, that with issues such as doctors not using proper aseptic techniques, lack of access to blood transfusions and antibiotics, and overall poor health to begin with, there was likely little difference between the performance of a legal abortion and illegal practice, and the aftercare for either type of abortion was probably equally unlikely to do the woman much, if any, good. For more about abortion and abortion deaths in the first years of the 20th century, see [|Abortion Deaths 1900-1909].

For more on pre-legalization abortion, see [|The Bad Old Days of Abortion]

Sources:
 * [|Homicide in Chicago Interactive Database]
 * Death certificate
 * "Two Women Are Arrested Accused of Serious Crime," //Chicago Inter-Ocean//, July 23, 1907



include component="tagCloud"